Book Review: Burn by Callie Hart (#3 in the Blood & Roses Series)

Title: Burn (#3 in the Blood & Roses Series)
Author: Callie Hart
Genre: Romance, Erotica, Dark Erotica, Suspense
Release Date: 5/22/2014
Related books: Deviant (FREE, book #1), Fracture (book #2)
Rating: 5 stars
Steam factor: 5/5 

*Warning: This book contains violence, sex, murder, prostitution and several other possible triggers. 

*Warning: This review contains possible spoilers to the first two books in this series! If you have not read Deviant or Fracture this review will reveal some of the plot twists in those books. I will NOT spoil anything from Burn! Please continue reading only if you are familiar with the series or do not mind knowing some surprises before reading.

In books 1 & 2 we learn that Sloane's sister was kidnapped. The sexy, killer (literally, he kills people), bad boy hero, Zeth is helping Sloane get her sister back. Sloane is a trauma doctor who was raised by a minister and traded her virginity for information on where her sister is. Oh and Zeth and Sloane are most likely falling for each other. Who am I kidding? It's a romance series, of course they are. 

Now that you are semi-caught up here is what happens in Burn. Well, I can't say much because the whole thing is full of action, surprises and sex. I don't want to spoil much. Burn picks up right where we left off in Fracture. Zeth and Sloane are in Julio's compound where they plan to rescue Sloane's sister, Alexis, during a sex party. Sloane is supposed to convince Julio that she is an escort there to join Zeth at the party. She tried... She stands up to Julio and he appears to accept that even though she is a doctor she could still be there for the party. 

Sloane gets together with "the girls" on the compound before the party. She is hoping to see Alexis but she isn't there. She learns there are 2 other girls that are away. Neither are named Alexis but Sloane suspects she is going by a different name. The girls are Julio's prostitutes that will help entertain the party guests.

The MC, Widow Makers, show up for the party. The president of the club is named Rebel. Rebel was supposed to be the one who got Sloane's virginity in book 1. Zeth knows this but Sloane does not. Rebel becomes an important character. I can't tell you how without ruining the whole book! But trust me, its good! 

Will Sloane find her sister? If she does, will Alexis be in the decrepit state she expects? Who is this Rebel guy? You will have to read to find out. I guarantee you that you want to find out!

Callie Hart has kept me on the edge of my seat since book 1. Burn (Book 3) is full of action, twists, turns and surprises. Then, there's the sex... HOT! Zeth is a crazy, kinky bastard. Miss Hart writes scenes that will have you screaming at your eReader, gasping in awe and ready for action. I found myself saying "He is NOT going to use that! Oh yes, he is!" out loud, more than once. 

There is a lot of things going on this series. Gangs, organized crime, motorcycle clubs, sex, spying, kidnapping and plot twists are all woven together like a delicate piece of lace. At the heart of it all is a love story. Sloane started as a virgin and morphs into a viper with an insatiable libido which matches that of her deviant lover. She is willing to do absolutely anything to find her sister. Zeth is a broken, hard shelled, tattooed badass with a past. He starts to soften a bit with Sloane as they spend more time together than he is used to. He is protective over her and is even amused with her at times. In Burn he admits that she confuses him. These characters grow at a perfect pace with the story. 

There is a slight cliffhanger. Something happens and you find out a tidbit of information but you are left wanting a full explanation. I cannot wait to get the next installment! If' I'm lucky I will get to an advanced copy again. 

I recommend this whole series to everyone! If you aren't afraid of some graphic wording and love dark, erotic subject matter, this is for you! If you haven't started this series yet, you must! The first installment, Deviant, is currently free. I give this book (and the series so far) 5/5 stars! And the steam factor is 5/5 as well!  

Connect with Callie Hart:

Goodreads

Facebook

Callies Blog

Buy Burn 

(Read Deviant and Fracture first! Links above)

Amazon

iBooks

I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. My opinions may differ from yours and that is OK.

Therapist by Jaden Wilkes Cover Reveal

I am a sociopath. 

I know this because I diagnosed myself.

I have a PhD in Clinical Psychology from a very prestigious university.

I am charming, attractive, and you probably want to sleep with me.

I take what I want, when I want, and I enjoy picking the most tragic of all my patients to experiment with.

I have no remorse, I am unrelenting in my pursuit of tragedy, and I am about to meet my match.

Her name is not important, I am only allowed to call her Mistress. She is a femme fatale, a patient, and now an obsession.

She will destroy me, I will do anything to get inside of her.

I can already feel her inside of me.

Title: Therapist
Author: Jaden Wilkes
Genre: Dark, Erotica, Psychological 
Expected Release Date: May 2014

From the author:

**Trigger warning. This novel contains situations of perversity and dubious consent. It is full of possible triggers and quite honestly, a shorter novel simply to get this sick bastard out of my head. The minute I hit publish, I will need a shower. If you choose to read it, I am sorry he dragged you through his filth.

Add it to your TBR on Goodreads NOW!

About Jaden Wilkes:
Jaden is the pen name of a girl living on the prettiest farm in BC. She shares her space with her husband, her children, and an Irish Wolfhound named Tiberius. She can now be found lurking in the dark corners of the internet looking for artful porn gifs, dirty poems and places to promo her work.

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJadenWilkes

https://www.goodreads.com/JadenWilkes

https://twitter.com/JWilkesAuthor

http://www.smutlandia.com

Q&A with Julia Kent Author of Share Me in the Spring Fling Anthology

I recently had the opportunity to ask one of my favorite authors some fun questions! Julia Kent is the author of many of my favorite books. If you are into steamy romantic comedy type books, LOOK HER UP! (I hereby name steamy-romantic-comedy an actual book genre)

You can check her out in the Spring Fling New Adult Anthology set in New Orleans at Spring Break during Mardi Gras. For more info see my review (link below)!

Let's get to the Q&A:

WMW: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer? Did you know what genre right away?

Julia: I've been writing for years, but turned to romance more recently. Wrote my first novel nearly twenty years ago, actually!

WMW: Do you have a favorite book that you have written? How about a favorite Character?

Julia: Oh -- seriously? Do I have to pick one? It's like picking a favorite kid. LOL. I do have a TOTAL author crush on Alex from It's Complicated/Complete Abandon/cameo in Random Acts of Trust, though. ::blush::

WMW: Do you have a specific method for writing? Do you brainstorm, outline or simply start writing as it comes? Give us some insight into your "process".

Julia: I write between my kids' demands for food and attention. I still have one who isn't of school age.

WMW: Are any of your characters based on anyone you know personally? (You don't have to tell us who they are, unless you want to)

Julia: Nope. Not a single one. Other than Thor (Mike from Her Billionaires). I personally know Thor.

WMW: I have noticed mention of items like Diva Cup, Cloth Diapers and Babywearing in your books. As a cloth diapering and babywearing mom, I have to ask if you use(d) cloth diapers?

Julia: I did! For one child. He's my easygoing kid, too! 

Quickfire Questions:

WMW: On a man: Boxers or briefs?

Boxer briefs!

WMW: Twitter or Facebook?

Facebook

WMW: Coffee or Tea?

OMG IS THAT A QUESTION? Coffee, of course!

WMW: Favorite season?

Anything but winter. I live in New England.

WMW: Favorite scent?

Julia: Man. ;)

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my silly questions Julia! 

See why I love her? Check out her many awesome books, I have read them all! 

My review of Random Acts of Trust

My review of Spring Fling

She loves to hear from her readers by email at jkentauthor@gmail.com

Twitter

Facebook 

Julia Kent's Blog

Click photo to view on Amazon

Spring Fling: A New Adult Anthology Blog Tour & Giveaway!

I can honestly say I have never gone on any spring break trips. Sad, but true. This anthology will take you there! It took me there and I had a blast!

Spring Fling: A New Adult Anthology is just $1.99!

Synopsis:

Four tales of hot New Adult romance in New Orleans …

Party Spring Break–style with four bestselling romance authors, including Julia Kent and Sara Fawkes, as they dish out sexy tales of romance in the Big Easy!

Share Me by Julia Kent

Emma Barton has just been dumped—for being boring. Now she's letting loose and reclaiming her inner bad girl with not one, but two sexy strangers! Double the pleasure means double the fun, right?

Shake Me by Sara Fawkes

Determined to forget her cheating boyfriend, Cassidy Dupre agrees to a night out with playboy Travis Dean. But when she finds herself wanting more than she bargained for, this evening could spell desire … or disaster!

Show Me by Cathryn Fox

Eva Parker wants a lesson in seduction … from her brother's best friend. When teaching becomes tension, will they be able to keep it professional? Or will friends forever become something much hotter?

Shock Me by Lauren Hawkeye

Callie Gilmore is determined to break out of the friend zone with Ryder Hawkins. Donning a mask and making her move seems easy, but when fate throws a curveball, Callie must choose: turn and run … or embrace the night.

My Review:

Set in New Orleans in middle of Mardi Gras, we follow the stories of four young women. Emma Barton doesn't usually do "pleasure" trips. Her vacations mostly consist of charity work. After spending years with her high school boyfriend turned fiance, she finds herself single. He said she was "boring". Well, how boring is it to find two hot guys to spend the week with in New Orleans? Cassidy Dupre used to be good friends with Travis Dean until her mom died. She tried to become the young woman her mom would have liked, shunning Travis in the process. Travis tortures and teases her all through high school but when he sheds light on her cheating boyfriend they run to New Orleans to find him, together. Travis and Cassidy finally get what they both really need. Eva Parker is a self proclaimed geek and is ready to hand over her "V" card!! She has had a crush on her brothers best friend for as long as she can remember. She knows she can't have him but decides to trust him to show her how to be attractive to other men. He doesn't want her to be with other men, he certainly doesn't want some other guy getting her "V" card! Then there's Callie Gilmore. She is best friends with Ryder Hawkins. She doesn't want to be just friends and decides that New Orleans is the perfect opportunity to seduce him. At the masked ball she leads him back to his room, and just before she gets what she wants someone bursts through the door. It's Ryder at the door, with another woman. Which means the man it the bed is NOT Ryder! Turns out, its his brother. Callie has a decision to make.

All of these stories are hot! The collaboration between the authors was fantastic. There is one common thread throughout the stories that I will leave you to find for yourself. I would describe this book as watching a movie from four different perspectives. Its all the same time frame, setting, etc. We just get to experience Mardi Gras through four sets of eyes. The only thing that would have made it better would be if somehow the characters from the different stories would have had cameo appearances in the other books to tie them together a bit further. I could see how that would be a challenge and perhaps the authors may not have wanted to write about someone else's characters. 

This is not a typical boxed set of somewhat similar themed stories. These authors worked together to create a seamlessly flowing anthology that takes you right to Bourbon Street. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a collection of mid length steamy reads!

The Authors:

Julia Kent:
USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent turned to writing contemporary romance after deciding that life is too short not to have fun. She writes romantic comedy with an edge, and new adult books that push contemporary boundaries. From billionaires to BBWs to rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every book she writes, but unlike Trevor from Random Acts of Crazy, she has never kissed a chicken.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at jkentauthor@gmail.com

Twitter  

Facebook 

Lauren Hawkeye (Jameson): 

Lauren lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada with her husband, toddler, pit bull and idiot cat, though they do not live in an igloo, nor do they drive a dogsled. In her nonexistent spare time Lauren can be found knitting (her husband claims that her snobby yarn collection is exorbitant), reading anything she can get her hands on, or sweating her way through spin class. She loves to hear from her readers! Hawkeye's stories include erotic historical, steamy paranormal, and hot contemporary. Make sure to check out her work as Lauren Jameson, where her erotic romances take a walk on the wild side.

http://www.laurenhawkeye.com/

Twitter

Facebook

Cathryn Fox:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Cathryn Fox is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and red wine. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cathryn can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.
Cathryn also writes Young Adult novels under Cat Kalen and co-writes paranormal romance as Taylor Keating.

www.cathrynfox.com

Twitter
Facebook

Sara Fawkes:

Sara Fawkes has always loved spinning tales, but her romantic roots come from sneaking her mother's old Johanna Lindsay books from the dresser drawer. She's been writing stories since she was a little girl (and has the home made books from preschool to prove it), and loves creating stories and characters and interesting messes for them to get into. An avid traveler and adventure motorcyclist, her dream job includes selling everything off and leaving civilization to see the world on two wheels, writing in cafes in each country she visits, and living off her writing. In the meantime however, she lives in California with her menagerie of pets and, when not writing, loves to rebuild old motorcycles/cars with her Dude and plays with the characters in her head. You can find her online talking about whatever strikes her fancy at: 

http://www.sara-fawkes.com
Twitter
Facebook 

Buy Spring Fling!!

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The Giveaway:

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Book Review ~ Wrecked by Priscilla West

Title: Wrecked
Author: Priscilla West
Genre: Romance, MMA, Young Adult
Release Date: 12/16/2013
Rating: 4 stars
Steam factor: 3/5

I started off really loving the way the story was headed. A strong female going through the worst imaginable losses trying to get some normalcy in her life meets hot MMA fighter when he saves her from drowning. He seems like the biggest man-slut around and she runs (I can't say I blame her). It becomes obvious that he has something else pulling him to her. She doesn't want anymore drama in her life so she tells him they can't pursue a relationship. He begs/insists they at least be friends.

Being friends works for a while. Until they kiss. She runs again. I recall this happening a few times. Ultimately they end up together. The whole time they both admit they have secrets and neither pushes the other to share them. Of course a relationship like this could never work. We as readers know that the secrets need to come out, especially when we know hers are really not going to affect the relationship.

After hers are revealed she can't find him for a week. She, of course, thinks its because of her past. She hears that he is seen with his ex girlfriend at the campus hospital. Having her own issues to deal with, her past coming back to haunt her, Lorrie was headed back home. The rumors are confirmed and he doesn't get a chance to explain why.

It is at this point that we start reading Hunter's POV! We learn his secret and how similar it is to hers. Similar in that it isn't something to destroy their relationship. He participates in a MMA fight when he realizes he has lost Lorrie. She finds him mid fight. He is taken to the hospital and she leaves for home unsure if she will ever return to college.

I have left out a ton of details! You will have to buy the book to get them. I really do love the story in Wrecked. The writing is fluid and you have no trouble slipping right into their environment. The characters are relatable. Like most books I read, I was thinking about the characters even when I couldn't be reading about them.

I wished we had Hunter's POV sooner in the book. I also was bummed that it was a cliffhanger. This wasn't a short book really so I had assumed there would be some kind of closure. I'm honestly not sure if I will buy the next book. I have read reviews that it was disappointing.

If you don't mind getting attached to characters and are OK with buying 2 books to get the whole story this one is FANTASTIC!!

Connect with Priscilla West

Facebook 

Goodreads

Her website

Buy Wrecked

Amazon

B&N

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.